Division of Infectious Diseases Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens Program

Issued: July 15, 2024

Application Due Dates: August 16, 2024; November 15, 2024; February 14, 2025; May 16, 2025

Projected Award Start Dates: September 1, 2024; December 1, 2024; March 1, 2025; June 1, 2025

The Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens Program (EREPP) requests applications to support dissemination proposals focused on enhancing visibility of ongoing emerging and re-emerging pathogen research at Northwestern. Applications may request support to assist with either costs of publication in a peer-reviewed journal or costs associated with registration and travel to a relevant international conference. Applications will be considered quarterly at the above listed deadlines.

Eligibility requirements: Applicants must hold a rank of Assistant Professor (including Research Assistant Professors) or higher. At least one co-investigator on the project must hold a primary appointment within the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Feinberg School of Medicine. Preference will be given to awards that support the career development of junior faculty and trainees.

Dissemination Proposal – Publication Fees

Budget: A maximum of $4,000 (direct costs only).

Application procedure: Publication fees for research on emerging or re-emerging pathogens will be considered only for manuscripts in revision or in press at a reputable, peer-reviewed journal. Please submit a one-page overview of the requested dissemination investment that includes a brief description of the article, its relevance to emerging or re-emerging pathogens, a quote for publication costs from the journal, and a justification of need. Applicants must provide a copy of the relevant manuscript at the time of submission and credit the EREPP in the Acknowledgements section of the paper.

Anticipated awards: 1 per deadline

Dissemination Proposal – Conference Travel

Budget: A maximum of $2,500 (direct costs only).

Application procedure: Travel/registration fees to attend an international conference relevant to emerging or re-emerging pathogens will be considered only for individuals presenting an accepted abstract (oral or poster). PIs may submit proposals on behalf of trainees. Please submit a one-page overview of the requested dissemination investment that includes a brief description of the conference, its relevance to emerging or re-emerging pathogens, the importance of participation for the attendee, a budget with relevant estimates, and a justification of need. Note that accommodation and food costs are not permitted. Applicants must provide a copy of the accepted abstract at the time of submission and credit the EREPP in the Acknowledgements section of their presentation.

Anticipated awards: 1-2 per deadline

Submission Instructions: Please submit applications as a single PDF file directly to the EREPP Director, Dr. Judd Hultquist, by e-mail at judd.hultquist@northwestern.edu. Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of investigators and applicants will be notified of their award status within 2 weeks of the deadline.

For questions, please contact EREPP Director, Dr. Judd Hultquist (judd.hultquist@northwestern.edu).

Issued: July 15, 2024

Application Due Date: August 16, 2024

Projected Award Start Date: September 1, 2024

 The Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens Program (EREPP) requests applications to support research proposals focused on emerging and re-emerging infections as well as infrastructure proposals focused on the attainment of equipment that will have a lasting impact and bring new capabilities to an existing research program in infectious diseases. Applications may request support for basic, translational, or clinical research and should represent a new project that is distinct from any currently funded research.

Eligibility requirements: Applicants must hold a rank of Assistant Professor (including Research Assistant Professors) or higher. At least one co-investigator on the project must hold a primary appointment within the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Feinberg School of Medicine. Preference will be given to collaborative projects and those that involve junior faculty and trainees.

Research Proposals

Budget: A maximum of $15,000 (direct costs only).

Duration: A maximum of 12 months.

Application procedure: Please submit a three-page overview of the project that includes the investigative team, the budget, a description of the research project aims and design (including its relevance to emerging and re-emerging infections), a statement on how the project differs from and expands on the team’s research portfolio, the projected timeline (accounting for IRB approval), and plans for how the award will lead to additional funding.

Anticipated awards: 1-2

Infrastructure Proposals

Budget: A maximum of $15,000 (direct costs only, no funds for reagents or service plans).

Application procedure: Please submit a three-page overview of the requested infrastructure investment that includes the investigative team and projected users, the budget, a description of the equipment, a description of the new research that the equipment will enable (including its relevance to emerging and re-emerging infections), and an access/maintenance plan. Applicants must provide a quote for the requested equipment at the time of submission.

Anticipated awards: 1-2

Submission Instructions: Please submit applications as a single PDF file directly to the EREPP Director, Dr. Judd Hultquist, by e-mail at judd.hultquist@northwestern.edu. Submissions will close on Friday, August 16th at 5:00pm Central time. Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of investigators and applicants will be notified of their award status by Friday, August 30th at 5:00pm Central time.

For questions, please contact EREPP Director, Dr. Judd Hultquist (judd.hultquist@northwestern.edu).

2022 Awardees

Maureen Bolon, MD and Shannon Galvin, MD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) for the study of “Clinical outcomes in human monkeypox infection and Jynneos vaccine recipients,” $40,000.

Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo, PhD and Egon Ozer, MD, PhD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) for infrastructure investment in a GridION Mk1 Sequencer (with contributions provided in kind from the Third Coast CFAR), $30,000.

Alan Hauser, MD, PhD and Kelly Bachta, MD, PhD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) for infrastructure investment in a BactoBox bacterial quantification instrument, $14,000.

2020 Awardees

Chad Achenbach, MD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) for the study of “COVID-19 presentation, testing, treatment and outcomes at Northwestern Medicine,” $30,000.

Pablo Penaloza, PhD (Department of Microbiology-Immunology) and Judd Hultquist, PhD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) for the study of “Elucidating immunological parameters associated with recovery from COVID-19 disease,” $50,000.

Huiping Liu, MD, PhD (Department of Pharmacology), Deyu Fang, PhD (Department of Pathology), Michael Ison, MD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases), and Suchitra Swaminathan, PhD (Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology) for the study of “Generation of human monoclonal antibody neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 using patient B cells,” $50,000.

Eun-Young Kim, PhD and Steven Wolinsky, MD (Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases) for the study of “Pathogenesis in the nonhuman primate model for SARS-CoV-2,” $40,000.